Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that enables high-speed start-up, a control method therefor, and a storage medium storing a control program therefor.
Description of the Related Art
Many conventional information processing apparatuses store operating systems (OS) and various application programs in external storage units, such as hard disk drives (HDD) and FLASH memories. Then, when starting an information processing apparatus from a power-OFF state, the OS and the programs are read out to a volatile DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) as a main memory, and is executed. Accordingly, data including the OS and the programs read to the DRAM is lost whenever the power is turned OFF, and there is a problem that start-up of an information processing apparatus takes time. In regard to this problem, there is a hibernation technology that suspends a system after saving the entire data on a main memory at the timing just before turning OFF the power to an external storage unit, and that develops the saved data to the main memory in order to shorten the start-up time of the information processing apparatus.
In recent years, there is a proposed method for shortening start-up time using a nonvolatile MRAM (Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory) that holds data even if power supply stops and that differs from a volatile memory like a DRAM (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2005-11120 (JP 2005-11120A)).
An access speed of an MRAM is similar to that of a DRAM, and an MRAM can hold data after turning power OFF as well as an HDD. Accordingly, when an MRAM is used as a main memory, a state of the main memory can be held even if the power is turned OFF and ON without saving data to an external storage unit and reading therefrom unlike the hibernation technology. As a result, the start-up time can become shorter than that using the conventional hibernation technology.
On the other hand, when an MRAM is used as a main memory, the memory contents will be rewritten successively during executing a program. Accordingly, when electric power is cut off without performing a normal power turn-OFF process, the contents of the MRAM may be saved in a state where a program is running, and the program may not be normally executed when the power is turned ON at the next time.